Reading is Sexy

The Spectacular Now

Why I read this book: I saw the movie trailer and it looked really interesting so I wanted to read the book before I saw the movie!

Opinion:

Overall I thought The Spectacular Now was no SPECTACULAR but it was very enjoyable and not as light of a read you would think it would be by looking at its size. The overall plot was intriguing and there weren’t many dull moments at all throughout the book. The one thing that really did get me though, was just the main character, I really could not sympathize with him for the majority of the novel. I mean I sympathized in the sense that he was trying to find his way and was kind of lost because he never felt like he had a fatherly figure or anyone who really loved him but throughout the book there wasn’t a moment where it seemed like he was actually trying to change his situation. Sutter (the protagonist) was submissive, self sabotaging, and played the victim card as an excuse and in the long run it only hurt him. Now, I did immediately go and watch the movie after I had finished the book and the movie gave the ending of the book a lot more closure then the book did. The books ending was depressing, but realistic, and actually kind of well…refreshing isn’t the right word… but, I guess realistic; (SPOILER ALERT) the books ending was realistic in the sense that it showed someone who came so close to breaking his bad habits, but in the end couldn’t make it. It showed Sutter relapsing into the exact same pattern at the beginning of the book with no intention of ever trying to come out of it. It was a sad yet heart warming book because in between the irritating stream of consciousness of a teenage boy and the tragic consequences of his motive to live in the Now, you found humor, relatable scenarios, and true love. I wouldn’t put it in my top favorite books but I thought it was a story that needed to be told, and Tom Tharp did an excellent job.